The Temple Complex at Khajuraho

THE TEMPLE COMPLEX AT
KHAJURAHO
BY KIMANI DAVID.
B02/35848/2013
INTRODUCTION
Location: Madhya Pradesh
Founded By: Rulers Of Chandela Empire
Founded In: Between 950 And 1050 AD
Status: World Heritage Site
ARCHITECTURAL
APPROACH
• The temples are grouped into three
geographical divisions: western, eastern and
southern.
• Made of sandstone and limestone.
•
Mortise and Tenon joints
• The Khajuraho temples, constructed with spira
superstructures, adhere to a northern Indian
Shikhara
hikhara temple style and often to a
Panchayatana plan or layout.
• The builders didn't use mortar: the stones
were put together with mortise and tenon
joints and they were held in place by gravity.
• This form of construction requires very precise
joints. The columns and architraves were built
with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.[
w of the temples had been dedicated to
Jain pantheon and the rest to Hindu
ties—to god's trio, Brahma, vishnu and
va, and various devi forms, such as the
vi Jagadambi temple.
Panchayatana temple had four
ordinate shrines on four corners and the
in shrine in the center of the podium,
ch comprises their base. The temples
up into three geographical divisions:
stern, Eastern and Southern.
ose shikharas (subordinate and main)
ibute to the Khajuraho temples their
que splendor and special character.
h a graded rise of those shikharas from
r the ardhamandapa, porch, to mandapa,
embly hall, mahamandapa, principal
embly hall, antarala, vestibule, and
• Those temples of Khajuraho have sculptures
bhagriha, sanctum sanctorum, the
look remarkably realistic that even contempo
ajuraho temples attain the form and glory
art scholars study
gradually rising Himalayan peaks.
CHRONOLOGY
Sequence
Modern name
Original Deity
Note
1
Chausath Yogini
64 Yoginis
Est. 9th century
2
Brahma
Brahma
Eastern group
3
Lalgun Mahadev
Shiva
Contemp to 2
4
Matangeshwar
Shiva
In active worship
5
Varaha
Varaha
6
Lakshmana
Vaikuntha Vishnu
Lakshavarma Inscription
7
Parshvanath
Adinath
Pahil inscription 954 AD, Jain Compound
8
Vishvanath
Shiva
Dhanga inscription Sam 1059
9
Devi Jagadambi
Initially Vishnu but today Parvati
10
Chitragupta
Surya
11
Kandariya Mahadeva
Shiva
Largest
12
Vamana
Vamana
Eastern Group
13
Adinath
Jina
Jain compound
14
Jawari
Vishnu
Eastern group
15
Chaturbhuja
Vishnu
Southern
16
Dulhadeo
Shiva
South end
17
Ghantai
Jina
Only some columns remaining
COMPLEX PROFILES
1. Western group of temples
The best as well as the largest group of temples in Khajuraho comprises of the western group.
Kandariya mahadeo
Kandariya mahadeo is the largest temple in the western group. It comprises of about 900 statues, of which the grandest idol is
i that of lord shiva, which
rises to A height of 31 M. The sanctum houses the Shiva lingam, while the main shrine has carved images of various gods, goddesses
godd
and apsaras
(heavenly maidens). The entrance arch, pillars and ceilings are also beautifully carved. The outer walls of the transept have three horizontal panels,
which depict deities of the Hindu pantheon and groups of lovers.
Chaunsat yogini
Chaunsat yogini is the oldest surviving temple of the western group. It was constructed in the year 900 and is dedicated to goddess
g
kali. Initially there
were 65 cells in the temple, out of which only 35 are left. However, the image of goddess kali that was enshrined in the temple
temp could not survive the
travails of time.
Chitragupta temple
Chitragupta temple is dedicated to surya, the sun god. The inner sanctum of the temple has A 5 feet high image of the sun god,
god who is shown riding A
chariot. One can also see images depicting royal processions, group dances and other scenes of sheer luxury.
Vishwanath temple
Vishwanath temple is dedicated to lord brahma, one of the Hindu trinity of gods. Lions guard the northern entrance of the temple,
tem
while the southern
steps are flanked by elephants. Opposite this temple is the shrine of Nandi bull.
Lakshamana temple
Lakshamana temple is dedicated to lord vishnu and houses three-headed
headed idols of vishnu's incarnations, narasimha and varaha. The rafter on the
entrance shows the holy trinity of brahma, vishnu and shiva with goddess lakshmi.
Matangeshwara temple
Matangeshwara temple is situated outside the grounds of the western group. It is dedicated to lord Shiva and enshrines an eight
eig feet high Lingam. To
the south of the temple is the open air archaeological museum, which exhibits an amazing collection of statues and frescoes collected
c
from the area.
2.Eastern Group of Temples
Parsavanath Temple
Parsavanatha Temple is the largest Jain temple of the eastern group, dedicated to Lord Parsavanath. The northern wall of the
temple is adorned with sculptors that depict everyday activities, like a young girl removing a thorn from her foot. There is also t
bull emblem of first Tirthankara, Adinath.
Ghantai Temple
Ghantai Temple is another Jain temple. It is known for an amazing frieze, which exhibits the 16 dreams of Mahavira's mother, alo
with a multi-armed
armed Jain goddess perched on a winged Garuda.
Adinath Temple
Adinath Temple is the last one of the three Jain temples in the eastern group. It is dedicated to Adinath, the first Jain Tirthankara
Tir
Hindu Temples
There are three Hindu temples in this group, namely the Brahma temple, the Vamana temple and the Javari temple.
Southern Group
The Southern Group of temples lies at a distance of approximately 5 km from the Khajuraho village.
Duladeo Temple
Duladeo Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and stands adorned with sensual images of the apsaras (heavenly maidens).
Chaturbhuj Temple
Chaturbhuj Temple enshrines an intricately carved image of Lord Vishnu.
Statues and carvings
The Khajuraho temples contain some sexual or erotic art outside
the temple or near the deities.
Meanwhile, the external curvature and carvings of the temples
depict humans, human bodies, and the changes that occur in
bodies, as well as facts of life.
The rest depict the everyday life of the common Indian when the
carvings were made and activities of other beings. For example,
those depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians,
potters, farmers, and other folk.
The Khajuraho temples do not contain sexual or erotic art inside
the temple or near the deities; however, some external carvings
bear erotic art. They portray that, for seeing the deity, one must
leave his or her sexual desires outside the temple.
The Khajuraho temples do not contain sexual or erotic art inside the temple or near the
deities; however, some external carvings bear erotic art. They portray that, for seeing the
deity, one must leave his or her sexual desires outside the temple.
While the sexual nature of these carvings have caused the site to be referred to as the
Kamasutra temple, they do not illustrate the meticulously described positions.
The strategically placed sculptures are "symbolical-magical
"symbolical
diagrams, or yantras" designed
to appease malevolent spirits. This alamkara (ornamentation) expresses sophisticated artistic
transcendence over the natural; sexual images imply a virile, thus powerful, ruler.
Between 950 and 1150, the Chandela monarchs built these temples when the Tantric tradition
may have been accepted. In the days before the Mughal conquests, when boys lived in
hermitages, following brahmacharya until they became men, they could learn about the world
and prepare themselves to become householders through examining these sculptures and the
worldly desires they depicted.
Erotic Sculptures
Musicians
Khajuraho temples
References
1. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns
(Provisional)".. Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved
2008-11-01.
2. ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Khajuraho
3. ^ "Lost Worlds of the Kama Sutra" History channel
4. ^ Khajuraho, Kanhaiyalal Agrawal, Macmillan India, 1980 (in Hindi)
5. ^ "Khajuraho", liveindia.com
6. ^ McConnachie, James (2005). The Book of Love, the Story of the Kamasutra.
Kamasutra Metropolitan Press.
pp. 46–47.
7. ^ "Lost Worlds of the Kama Sutra," History Channel
8. ^ Lehner, Mark, The Complete Pyramids,, London: Thames and Hudson (1997) p. 202-225
202
ISBN 0500-05084-8.
^ http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-monuments/khajuraho
monuments/khajuraho-temples.html
THE CONCLUSION
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments has been listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the "seven
wonders" of India.
Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural
styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction
of sexual life during medieval times.
THE END…BY KIMANI D.